Afghan Taliban say UN promises aid after meeting with officials in Kabul

Published
16
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen pictured at a news conference in Moscow, Russia on July 9. — Reuters/File
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen pictured at a news conference in Moscow, Russia on July 9. — Reuters/File

Senior Taliban officials met in Kabul on Sunday with the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, who promised to maintain assistance for the Afghan people, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of the Taliban's political office and other officials met Martin Griffiths as Afghanistan faces a potentially catastrophic humanitarian crisis caused by severe drought and a collapsing economy.

"The UN delegation promised continuation of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, saying he would call for further assistance to Afghanistan during the coming meeting of donor countries," Shaheen said on Twitter.

Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been plunged into crisis by the abrupt end of billions of dollars in foreign aid following the collapse of the Western-backed government and the victory of the Taliban last month.

Shaheen said the Taliban assured the UN delegation of "cooperation and provision of needed facilities".

The United Nations is expected to convene an international aid conference in Geneva on September 13 to help avert what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called a "looming humanitarian catastrophe".

Opinion

Editorial

Need for dialogue
06 Aug, 2026

Need for dialogue

THE interior minister’s comments at an Islamabad seminar last week have sparked many a conversation about the ...
Bad press
06 Aug, 2026

Bad press

THE government’s move to impose restrictions on international media will not only alienate the foreign press, it...
Automobile concerns
06 Aug, 2026

Automobile concerns

PAKISTAN’S automobile industry is at a critical juncture. Sharp cuts in tariffs on the import of completely built...
State of confusion
Updated 05 Aug, 2026

State of confusion

FROM the looks of it, America has no exit strategy to extricate itself from the disastrous war with Iran. US...
Pension decision
05 Aug, 2026

Pension decision

THE government’s decision to formally operationalise the new Defined Contribution Pension Fund Scheme is a step...
Preventable deaths
05 Aug, 2026

Preventable deaths

THE deaths of 144 children from measles and diphtheria in Karachi during the first seven months of the year expose a...